


Envy

by Causa



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-18
Updated: 2015-06-18
Packaged: 2018-04-05 01:49:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4161036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Causa/pseuds/Causa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What was so great about Greg? What did he offer that she didn’t? What could she offer Rose that he didn’t?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Envy

When Rose Quartz was happy, her eyes sparkled and from her lips emerged a sound that was like a cool, bubbling stream that Pearl wanted to dissolve into. Her smile was lovely and warm and made her feel like she was standing in the sun, still and content and full. 

But Rose wasn’t smiling at _her_ , and so she felt unsettlingly empty, quivering with some unknown energy that made her nauseous and restless. Her brain was buzzing; there had been humans before, plenty of them, but Rose had always come back— _back to her_. Rose had never looked at another human like that. Rose had never looked at _her_ like that—with such levity and fervor yet such tenderness. 

She felt her muscles tighten, felt a dull ache overtake her as she snuck back to the temple with Amethyst and Garnet. 

“I _really_ like him,” Amethyst said. 

“Me too,” said Garnet. 

“What’s so great about him?” A blush singed her cheeks.

“I like his music,” said Amethyst, “and his hair and his van.” 

“He’s nice,” said Garnet. 

“It’d be nicer if he wasn’t around,” Pearl grumbled, crossing her arms. Garnet stopped walking.

“Pearl,” she said, “You think Rose would like that?” 

Pearl did not look at her. 

What was so great about Greg? What did he offer that she didn’t? What could she offer Rose that he didn’t? She returned to the temple quietly and took out her collection of swords. Some were thin, some wide, some glimmering, some dull; she dipped the dirty ones into the water at her feet. How could she let them get so filthy? 

Swords—using them was the only thing Pearl had in common with Rose. Rose was light, brave and beautiful, courageous, contagious, with an energy that infected everyone around her. Pearl was, she thought, none of those things. And Greg was new, he was happy, he was entertaining—everyone enjoyed him. When was the last time she had made Garnet and Amethyst smile? 

When Pearl finished cleaning and organizing her collection she sat sprawled on the floor. What was Rose doing now? Was she with Greg? What were _they_ doing now? Were they doing that thing with their mouths? She had seen it before, in old paintings and books she had found in the caverns and buildings before they settled at the temple. But she never imagined doing it herself. Pearl blushed; thinking of mimicking _humans_? Greg unsettled her more than she thought. But it hadn’t seemed like something human when her face was close enough to Rose’s that she could feel her soft breath and see the smoothness of her skin. It would’ve seemed natural to lean in closer, and if it hadn’t been for the fusion that followed—

Pearl sighed. She wanted to see Rose. She wanted to see Rose looking back at her with those warm and captivated eyes. She left her room and went to sit under the tree that Rose had planted. Sometime soon after Rose appeared before her, and any negativity that clung to her vanished when she saw the smile on Rose’s lips. 

“Hello, my Pearl.”

“Rose.” Pearl stood and walked close to her. 

“Today was so fun, wasn’t it?” 

Rose sighed dreamily and Pearl felt darkness descending upon her again. 

“Yeah,” she said quietly. Rose’s eyes were elsewhere.

“Sometimes I—I wonder if we did the right thing. But then we have days like this—you know?” 

“Rose?” said Pearl.

The tall gem looked at Pearl with light and sparkling eyes. 

“Yes, Pearl?” 

The smaller gem stood on the tips of her toes and wrapped her arms round Rose’s neck; her scent was strong and sweet. Her body was soft and hot pressed against hers, her lips warm and unexpectedly wet. Heat cascaded throughout Pearl’s body and she felt herself tremble. When she felt Rose’s grip on her shoulders her lips slowly left Rose’s; her face was searing, lips quivering. She felt Rose’s lips on her forehead; then she heard Rose laugh raucously. 

Did she know that Pearl was watching her with Greg? 

“Did you find a new book today, Pearl?” she said between fits of laughter. 

“Uh—y—yes,” Pearl stammered. 

“Because I’d love to read it.” 

Rose was smiling at her, but it wasn’t the smile she had given Greg.

Pearl smiled back at her.


End file.
